Beauty
by Silverneko9lives0
Summary: Alternate ending to the HP series. They've lost the war, Harry is dead. Ginny and the surviving members of her family are forced into hiding. But Ginny is caught and taken to serve as a slave in Voldemort's house. A variation of "Beauty and the Beast."


_**Beauty**_

_Alternate ending to the HP series. They've lost the war, Harry is dead. Ginny and the surviving members of her family are forced into hiding. But Ginny is caught and taken to serve as a slave in Voldemort's house. A variation of __Beauty and the Beast__._

The Dark Lord—one to be feared, and that fear demands respect. But some know his weakness is all that he has.

I know that weakness. I'm trapped in his grasp. My whole life ripped out from under me. Forced to slavery in his house.

The_ dark lord's _house.

He's lost all sense of what it means to be human, if he knew what it meant before.

I want to go home, but for the life of me, I can't bring me to run. Not that I could. Voldemort keeps a tight hold on his _things_. And I am one of his _things_. Even if I could go, his death eaters would perhaps locate the rest of my family.

"Girl!"

I sigh and turn around. "Yes, my lord?"

"Feed Nagini."

I look at the snake; she wags her tongue at me. I leave the room, the snake follows me.

I walk down the hill to the rat farm, where we breed Nagini's food. I take a rate and dangle it in front of the giant serpent. She unhinges her jaws and I drop the hapless rodent in her mouth.

"There," I say, "that should do you for a while now, you great ugly beast."

Nagini swallows the rat, a large lump that was once a rodent slides down her throat. I sit on the grass watching Nagini finish her food.

She looks at me with her horrible yellow eyes. I look away from her, not wanting to keep eye contact with her.

"Girl!"

I stand and turn around, dusting off my bottom. Voldemort beckons me with his finger. I approach. I'm afraid, but my pride won't let me look away.

"What is this?" he asks, holding out a book to me. "It is a muggle tale. Where did you find it?"

The title, _Beauty and the Beast_, stares up at me. I look back into the hateful red eyes.

"I thought I was allowed to keep one thing for myself."

"Then you don't know the definition of a slave."

"Please, it's my favorite story. Please, my lord, let me keep it. It is meaningless, childish."

"Yet gives you hope."

I narrow my eyes, forgetting where I am and whom I'm with.

"Yes, it does. It gives me hope that maybe you're not the soulless monster you like to think you are. In it, a girl finds herself trapped in a monster's house, forced to live with him and interact with him day in and day out. But one day, she realizes that she has fallen in love with him, and he with her. He releases her and allows her to go home to her family or wherever she may go. She finds, on her way home, that she had grown accustomed to the monster and returns to him, breaking a terrible spell. But it's false hope because I _know_ you'll never change. I _know _you want to be a monster and that you want to be hated and despised and yet feared because it's better to be feared by all than afraid of all, but that's all this is."

I dare to poke Voldemort's chest.

"You're a great big coward! That's all you've ever been and it's all you ever will be! You can't even imagine what it's like to be loved because you won't let anyone in! And that makes you a _great big fool_!"

Nagini slithers around my feet. I'm afraid she'll be ordered to kill me, to poison me. I wait for her to strike. Her tongue tickles my exposed skin.

Voldemort stares at Nagini, who's risen up between us.

To Voldemort and my surprise, she snaps her jaws at Voldemort. He blinks and speaks to her. She answers, I suppose, because he throws the book onto the ground.

"Keep it," he said. I pick up the book and look at Nagini, she's back on her stomach, looking up at me. Her tongue wags again.

"Thank you," I say, holding my hand out, palm down. Nagini tickles my fingers with her tongue, getting a scent for me. She turns away from me and slithers inside after Voldemort.

I always thought Nagini was this ugly thing. I hate snakes, so I suppose I'm biased.

But in a way, she's a beautiful creature and a good ally to have in this dark time.


End file.
